Improvement in water-wheels



R. M. GADDY. WATER-WHEEL.

Patented J'vu1y11,1876.

Fiyi.

N. PETERS,`PHOTU UTNOGRAPHER. ,WASHINGTON D C.

UNITED STATES RICHARD M. GADDY, OF NICHOLS, SOUTH CAROLINA.

- IMPROVEMENT IN WATER-WHEELS.

. Y? Specification forming part of LettersPatent N o.

.r May Z'o all whom lit may concern Be it known that I, RICHARD M.GADDY, of Nichols, in the county ot' Marion and State ot South Carolina,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Water- Wheel; and Idohereby declare that the following is a full, clear, andA exactdescription thereof, which will enable others skilled in the art tovwhich it appertains to make aud-use the same. reference being had tothe accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference markedthereon, which form a part otl this speeiiication.

The nature of my invention consists in the construction and arrangementof a waterwheel, as will be Hereinafter more fully set forth.

In the annexed drawing, Figure l is a central vertical section on lillea: x, Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a transverse crosssection on line yy, Fig. l;and Fig. 3 represents a bottom view ot' the wheel.

A represents the vertical shaft on which the wheel is secured, saidshaft having its lower bearing in the bridge-tree B, under the curb orcasing C, and its upper bearing in a spider or cross-bar within saidcasing. The casing C may be constructed in any suitable manner, and haveany desired number of chutes, a, for admitting the-water into the sameabove the wheel, and also have suitable gates for letting on andshutting' ott' the water, as required. The wheel D is made in bowl orsemi-spherical shape, hollow, and out with a series of spiral Yslots oropenings, b b, running from near the upper edge to near-the center ofthe bot-tom ofthe wheel,'so as to leave, as'it were, a solid top rim,and a solid center disk, with a series of spiral fanshaped pieces, D1,between a-nd connecting said rim and disk. Each of these spiral piecesD1 is curved or beveled inward along one edge, and from the top to thebottom along this edge, on the inside of the wheel, isa spiral taperingflange, D2, as shown, the two spiral parts D1 l 79,6496, dated July "11,1876; application filed 17, 1876.

and D2 forming the bucket of the wheel. The outer edge ot the bucket asthus formed is also beveled, as shown. The shat't A passes through, andis fastened in, the center ot' this wheel, and on the shaft are tormedaseries of spiral flanges, d d, which extend from the bottom of the wheelupward a suitable distance abovel the top ot' the wheel. The relativedimensions ofthe shaft and wheel are such that a space will be lett allaround the shait bctween the outer edges oi' its spiral flanges and theinner edges ot' the buckets, as fully shown in the drawing'.

The chutes ce in the ease C being above the wheel D, the waterI passesthrough the same, and down onto the wheel, acting both on the bucketsand on the spiral angesof the sha t. t

rlhe water that strikes the iiangcs d ot' the shai't aids in rotatingthe wheel, and Athen as p the same water falls down onto the buckets itacts on them, giving still greater impetus to, and accelerating themotion ot', the wheel.

The wheel may be made ot' wood or metal, or of both combined, asdesired.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by, Letters Patent, is-

l. A water-wheel made hollowin semi-spherical iorm, and provided withinterior buckets, substantially as herein set forth.

2. The water-wheel D, made hollow in semispherical form, with spiralslots b, and spiral interior buckets DL D2, substantially as and for thepurposes herein set forth.

l 3. The shaft A, provided with spiral flanges d, in combination withthe wheel D, as and for the purposes set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I aiiix my signaturein presence ot' two Witnesses.

RICHARD M. GADDY. Witnesses:

WM. B. UPPERMAN, F. H. DUFFY.

